The bible says, "If a man lusts with his heart..he commits adultery..how can I not lust..seems impossible ??

Answer 1

Lust is not the initialization of a thought. Lust is the continuous, drawn out focus on the object of your obsession. You CAN choose not to lust by distraction. You simply occup your mind with other things.

In fact, the initialization of a thought about attraction and sex is in line with the first commandment of God -- "Be fruitful and multiply." Controling those thoughts appropriately is fullfilment of another commandment.

Answer 2

The way I was taught about that passage is if I am looking at a woman for the purpose of lusting after her, that is different than looking at a woman and the lust temptation comes to me.

It is like the difference in the guy who fights the bully because the bully backed him into a corner and the guy intent on revenge is out looking to fight the bully.

Look at the story the prophet Nathan told David after king David did his thing with Bathseba, wife of Uriah. In 2 Samuel 11, David was just taking in the scenery, but there was a particular scene he became interested in--the lust found him, no problem. Then he sent for information on the woman he saw, problem. Then he sent for the woman he saw, bigger problem. Then he bedded the woman, really big problem. Then he sent for the husband and discovered the guy was an excellent and principled man, then sent this man with the orders to put him to death and this principled man delivered them and was killed, really biggest problem.

In comes Nathan, a rich man and a poor man, the poor man had a prized lamb, the rich man had a flock of many. The rich man stole the poor man's lamb and killed it--to feed a visiting stranger.

Showing hospitality to the visiting stranger was normal and right, satisfying the need of the moment with that which belongs to someone else was wrong.

Something else to consider, the Matthew 5:28 passage says, "committed adultery"--the context of the words is for married men lusting after a woman other than his wife. It is the same as with David: have sexual desire? See own wife. Rather think about the other woman? Then there is a problem, just as David had a problem.

As used to be commonly taught in churches, this is part of the problem of pornography, if a man has a real woman but would rather look at pictures of some other woman, then that is a problem.

I'm not saying that is easy, but it isn't quite the impossibility that we may want to make it out to be. As one old gentleman said, "It isn't the first look, it is looking back again and for longer that you need to worry about sin."

Answer 3

It's not impossible. It is difficult. We do have sinful nature's after all. Thus the necessity that Christ be the sacrifice for our sins... the Lamb without spot. I think there's a difference between lusting with the mind and lusting with the heart. The heart in this case would mean the soul. You can look at someone and THINK lustful thoughts. That is not the same as lusting after someone in your soul/heart. That, I think, is more akin to putting some action behind the lust. I might just be drawing a fine line to it, but that's the way I see it. I should abstain from action of any sort that comes from lust, but I am human... my thoughts are different than my actions. It doesn't make much sense when I write it down like this, but there it is.

Answer 4

...I am assuming that you are a man. Men are sight-oriented,especially when it comes to women. When lustful thoughts comes into your head, you must, by an act of your will and with the help of the Holy Spirit, change it to something else. Philippians 4:8 says this,
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
In those times, here are some suggestions of what to do:
1. Develop a "think list", that is a list of praiseworthy, good things you can think on - songs, hymns, verses, etc.
2. Are you married? If so, think about your wife.
3. Pray for that person's salvation - it will change your perspective of the other person.
4. Don't stare - look in some other direction.
5. Get out your think list and choose something else to think on.
...One last thing - if/when you fail or sin, remember 1 John 1:9 (sometimes called the Christian's bar of soap) - "If we confess ours sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Answer 5

The problem with Christianity is that it's impossible to live up to the standards set forth in the bible. That's why it's a religion of guilt and self- denial. Sure, a little self-denial is good for the character, but if you're gonna be damned for impure thoughts, how much hope can you really have?

Answer 6

It means to actively lust. It is different than just seeing and appreciating a beautiful woman, and maybe asking for her phone number to date her. It means the minute you see someone to want o have sex with her. You notice I said sex and not make love. Lust leads to extra martial affairs, and sex with out marriage. In bible times if a woman was found committing adultery or even seemed adultery, or to have a child out of wedlock, she was stoned to death.

Answer 7

that's pretty much the point of religious laws and dogma. to get you so twisted with guilt, fear and shame that you feel you must submit to the prescribed deity via the preachers/priests, join a congregation, pay tithes, conform to the congregation's thoughts and behaviors, propagate that congregation's political powers etc. it's about subverting individual will, thru manipulation of synthetically created fears and guilt, to the purposes of the group which then feeds the ego and financial aggrandizement of the cult leaders.

thank the "Supreme Whatever" that you have been provided the intelligence to question the validity of such manipulative tactics.

Answer 8

Bible also says that no man is tempted beyond what he can bear and also says no one has tempations more than the common man. So impossibility is not true. If you keep looking at and feeding your desires then those unhealthy desires will grow.
If you keep looking at porn or women in the street with lust then you are feeding that passion.
People don't want to know because they do not want to take self responsibility.

Answer 9

Becuase, it's not the lust itself that is the Sin, it's what you do with things. So you have a random thought about banging your friends wife...Not a big deal...It's the hangup Amerians generally have on one of the greatest gifts from God, Doinking that is the problem.

Why?

What do you do from there...You've had a random thought about your fiends wife...Do you now get over it, and move onto other things, or do you dwell on it...think about it more and more, let it grow in your mind to an obsession, until finally your sitting in your buddies living room, banging his wife on the coffee table?

The Sin isn't about having a thought, the Sin is what you now do with that thought, move on, or start thinking about it more an more.

When the face in your fantasies and daydreams starts chaanging into your buddies wifes face, THEN your commiting adultury in your heart.

Memes are dangerous things in the hands of amatures.

Answer 10

You didn't quote the whole verse. Jesus said that if a man keeps on looking so as to desire, then he has committed adultery in his heart. WE all like to glance, but to dwell on the thought is a different story, cause it can get us into trouble.

James 1; 14-15says " But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Thgen the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin, in turn when it is accomplised brings forth death."